Multimillion-euro scheme launched to help innovative firms

The new €200m Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) initiative will help to reduce the time it takes to bring new innovative ideas to market.

The FTI initiative is funded by Horizon 2020 and is designed to better and faster exploit excellent ideas and help generate jobs and growth for Europe.

The FTI pilot aims to support mature innovative concepts that have been tested in an operational environment. Activities supported include systems validation in real working conditions, testing, piloting, business model validation as well as standard setting and pre-normative research.

The pilot will be implemented through one common and continuously open call.

Proposals can be submitted at any time with three cut-off dates in 2015: 29 April, 1 September and 1 December.